Hair-pin.



no; 637,5m. Paiented Nov. 2|, I899.

K. noun.

HAIR PIN.

Application filed. July 3, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

NITED STATES KATHARINA HOLM, OF-NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAIR-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,510, dated November 21, 1899. Application filed July 3, 1899. Serial No. 722,676. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LKATHARINA HoLM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pins, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front and Fig. 2 a side elevation of my improved pin. Fig. 3 is a front and Fig. 4 a side elevation of a modified construction thereof. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are rear, front, and side elevations, respectively, of a womans head, showing the application of my improved pins.

My invention relates to dressing utensils; and it consists of the hereinafter-described pin, suitable for various uses, especiallyas a hair-pin.

The pin consists of two curved shanks a and Z2, united by bow c. Shanks a and Z) are parallel to each other, but not equally long, shank I) being slightly shorter. Bow 0 is slightly wider than the distance between the shanks a and b, and thus forms a kind of enlarged head for the pin. The pin shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is modified in its construction, in that the shanks are more curved. In other respects the construction of the pin is the same as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The advantage derived from the pe culiar construction of my improved pin is that the pin can be made longer than a straight pin and yet not project from the hair when used to fasten it together, as shown in Fig. 5, and at the same time, owing to the curved form of the pin, it is more securely retained in the hair than a straight pin.

The material of which the pin is made is moderately elastic and permits the pressing together or drawing apart of the shanks while the pin is being inserted, and in connection with this the making of one shank shorter than the other affords the advantage that the pins can be inserted-for instance, in the hair, when the pin is used for fastening the hair together-while the shanks are held apart or pressed together, the outer longer shank a serving as a leader. Owing to the resiliency of the bow c and the tendency of the shanks to regain their relative positions the spreading or compressing of the shanks aids in securing the pin in the hair or other material in which the same is used.

I am aware that pins having corrugated shanks were devised with the view of increasing their hold in the hair; but those pins do not answer the purpose as well, in that the corrugations tend to entangle the hair and pull it out from the braids.

Such pins also do not possess the advantages inherent to my improved construction.

My improved hair-pin is also capable of use as a crimper for winding up of curls, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In this respect my improved hair-pins possess the advantage over the crimpers heretofore in use that they do not require to be bent, and, owing to the peculiar form, retain the curl of hair without any additional fastening whatsoever. For this purpose the end of the part of the hair to be curled is inserted between the prongs a and b of the pin and the prongs pressed together to retain it, while the pin is turned with the fingers the same as a crimper and in this manner the hair wound uponit. When the whole length of the hair is wound upon the pin, the pin is turned around, so that the bow c and the points of the shanks a and Z7 are brought to lie upon the scalp of the forehead, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In this position the ends of the pin are pressed by the pull of the hair against the head of the person, and as the pin thus held cannot turn, the un- Winding of the hair Wound on it is prevented. When the hair has remained in this position for a suficient length of time to retain its form, the pins are withdrawn, thus releasing it, and the hair may be combed in the usual manner. For this latter purpose the form of the pin shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is more suit able.

The pins may be produced of any material of which pins are made, more particularly of any suitable metal, celluloid, horn, ivory, and the like.

I claim as my invention- A pin consisting of two parallel shanks lying in the same plane, each shank having a single curve, said shanks being connected by a bow, the arc of which is subtended by a cord of greater length than the distance between the shanks, the inner shank being shorter than the outer.

KATHARINA HOLM.

Witnesses:

E. O. NIELSON, J OHN A. PAULSON. 

